How to Recover Deleted Messages from a Snapchat Account [iPhone & Android]

One feature that has driven social media users to Snapchat is the Snapchat automatic deletion of messages. When the sender and receiver leave a chat, all messages get deleted. Users often feel like their messages are more secure because they disappear quickly. More often than not, deleting messages isn’t a big deal because we know they’ll only exist for a short time on the platform.

However, there are times when you may want to retrieve those old messages. It could be a memorable chat with a loved one, contact details for a client, or even information that could be useful in legal matters. You can set Snapchat to save messages for 24 hours if desired, and you can also save them to Chat Media.

So, how can you get those old messages back? In this guide, you’ll see how to recover deleted messages on Snapchat.

Why is Recovering Messages in Snapchat More Difficult?

Snapchat has been at the forefront in giving social media users more control over the content they send out, including text, photos, and videos. The platform is one of the few social media platforms that use ephemeral messaging. But what’s that?

Ephemeral messaging is a type of chat or conversation that self-destructs. Messages automatically get deleted after the receiver has opened and viewed them.

With ephemeral messaging, you can control how long a message will last in someone’s inbox. It’s a feature that doesn’t exist on most text or chat platforms. This messaging allows users to send thoughts they would otherwise keep to themselves due to the concern of those messages getting leaked.

Additionally, sending self-destruct messages means you can save storage space on your device. You won’t have to delete items manually every few days to free up space and keep your machine running optimally.

On the downside, Snapchat’s ephemeral messaging means you can lose valuable data as quickly as you receive it. There may be messages you’ll want to hold on to for longer. It can be anything from memorable photos and catchy text to work progress reports.

Although the Snapchat app doesn’t offer a way to retrieve these messages from within your chats, you can easily get your hands on those deleted messages, thanks to a few workarounds. However, some messages are not retrievable, depending on how long it has been since you sent them. Of course, you can also save your chats to preserve them, so you no longer have to work hard to retrieve them later.

Let’s dive in and see how you can recover deleted messages depending on the device you’re using.

How To Recover Deleted Snapchat Messages from an Android Phone

If you own an Android device, you can recover deleted Snapchat messages in several ways:

Method 1: Open Your Device’s Cache Using a PC (Windows/Mac/Linux)

Before trying anything complex, you may want to use your Android’s built-in recovery tools.

Whenever you close Snapchat or any other app on your phone, Android devices are programmed to discard recent memory immediately, and you’ll have to reload the app to run it once more. This procedure can be time-consuming if your data connection isn’t adequate, leading to delays, screen freezes, crashes, power problems, etc. Your phone caches some content for quick access to avoid these problems.

Android cache memory retains recently used or “hot” data that would otherwise require a slow retrieval from an over-crowded storage medium. It also stores infrequently accessed information close to the CPU, where it is more readily available for immediate access. Most importantly, your Snapchat messages get temporarily cached after being deleted in your chats.

Our goal here is to recover your messages from the cached memory bank. Here’s how to recover deleted messages from your device’s cache memory:

1. Connect your Android device to a PC using a USB cable.
   
2. Once your PC has recognized your device, open your device’s folder and navigate to Android.
   
3. Click on Data.
   
4. Look for and click on the file named com.snapchat.android
   
5. Open the Cache folder and select the messages you’d like to retrieve.
   
6. Click on Recover.
   

After taking these steps, you can recover your messages and view them. However, you can only recover the most recent messages using this method. Older cached data gets discarded as time goes by.

Method 2: Open Device’s Cache Using Android

If you don’t have a PC, you can still retrieve deleted messages from your phone’s internal memory by using a file browser, such as Google Files. Here’s how:

1. Open Files (Google’s preinstalled file manager), or choose a third-party file explorer.
2. When using the Files app, scroll down and tap on Internal Storage.
3. Navigate to the Android -> Data -> com.snapchat.android direct path.
   
4. Rename all files that have the .nomedia extension. Don’t add a new extension yet. If that process fails to identify the file or folder, try adding one, such as .txt, .jpg, or .mp4.

Sift through the files that appear to find your missing Snapchat messages. If no files appear, your operating system has already dumped the cached files.

Method 3: Request Snapchat Data

Snapchat understands you may want to view some of your messages after they’ve auto-deleted. Therefore, they’ve set up a data recovery page where you can conveniently retrieve all types of data exchanged through your account, including photos, text, and videos.

Here’s how to use the Snapchat data recovery tool to recover your messages:

1. Visit the Snapchat My Data page and enter your credentials.
   
2. After signing in, you should automatically get redirected to the My Data page.
   
3. Scroll down and tap on Submit Request.
   
4. You’ll then receive an email with a link to access your Snapchat data—usually in zipped format. Click the link and download your data.
   
5. Right-click the downloaded zip file and choose to extract it. Depending on the compression software used, the options vary.
   
6. Navigate to the folder holding the extracted files and open a file named Mydata.
   
7. Select the index.html file. You’ll now be able to view all your deleted Snapchat messages.
   

Method 4: Using Dedicated Third-Party Recovery Tools

If you don’t want to recover your Snapchat messages using manual methods, there are third-party apps that can do all the work for you. Although there are several options to choose from, such as the Android Data Recovery Tool, they all serve the same purpose. However, most recovery tools, such as this one, require payment to recover the data they find.

1. Download and install Android Data Recovery on your PC.
   
2. Launch the software and click on Data Recovery.
   
3. Connect your Android device to your PC.
   
4. After the software detects your Android device, you’ll see a list of the types of data you’d like to recover displayed on the screen.
   
5. Check the box next to Messages and click on Next.
   
6. Select Recover all files and click on Next once more.
7. At this point, the software scans your device for all deleted messages and then displays all the recoverable data. All you need to do is click on the Recover button next to an item to recover it and save it on your computer.

Recover Deleted Messages on Snapchat Using an iPhone

There is no built-in way to obtain deleted Snapchat messages on iPhone/iOS devices, especially since “.nomedia” is an Android-based feature to tell other apps to ignore the file. Regardless, you can use third-party tools to recover deleted snaps on iOS. Although there are several alternatives, we’ll look at two of the most popular apps: FoneLab and iBeesoft iPhone Data Recovery.

1. Use FoneLab to recover Deleted Snapchat Messages on iOS/iPhone

FoneLab Studio first launched FoneLab to help iPhone users recover their data from a dead or malfunctioning handset. It now offers a broader range of different services, including data repair, file backup services, and anything file-related to Apple devices. This app provides not only a yearly subscription but also a lifetime license, unlike other apps.

Here’s how to use this tool to recover lost Snapchat messages:

1. Download and install FoneLab on your PC.
   
2. Connect your iPhone to your PC using a USB cable.
   
3. Once the software detects your device, tap on the Start Scan button on your iPhone’s screen. The recovery process begins.
   
4. Once the scan is complete, all recoverable items appear on your screen. Choose Snapchat Messages.
5. Individually select the messages you’d like to retrieve and tap on Recover.
6. Choose the destination folder, then wait as the software retrieves your messages.

2. Using iBeesoft iPhone Data Recovery

iBeesoft iPhone Data Recovery is professional iOS data recovery software for all Apple mobile devices. It quickly retrieves photos, messages, contacts, text notes, videos, and more. There are several paid options to save the lost data it finds. Here’s how to use the software to recover your snaps:

1. Download and install the iBeesoft Phone Data Recovery on your Windows PC. There’s also a Mac version link available below the download button.
   
2. Connect your iPhone to your PC using a USB cable.
   
3. Once the software detects your device, click on Recover From iOS Device to initiate the recovery process.
   
4. Click on Scan to confirm.
   
5. Once the scan is complete, all recoverable items will be sorted into categories and displayed on your screen.
6. Select Snapchat Messages and then click on Recover.
7. You can also recover data from your iTunes or iCloud backups. You must select the desired source while initiating the recovery process, such as Recover from iTunes.

In closing, both built-in and third-party tools can help you if you have deleted a Snapchat message and want it back. That said, it’s crucial to pick a trusted tool that won’t corrupt your messages or even damage the rest of the data on your device. Don’t forget that third-party tools generally require payment to retrieve your lost data. However, the scan is free. On the other hand, you can try manual methods to get your Snapchat messages back and not pay a penny at all!